Scent of a nation: how Chinese perfume brands are reclaiming identity
In 2014, despite making up 20% of the world’s population, Chinese consumers accounted for only 1% of global fragrance value sales. This striking disparity is shaped by their relative unfamiliarity with perfume and its politically charged past. Indeed, in recent history, fragrance was seen as a symbol of elitism and was even prohibited during the […]
Women’s Day in China: Shifting from consumerism to advocacy
Since the establishment of International Women’s Day in China in 1949, Chinese society has made tremendous progress in gender equality in many aspects, such as education, economic welfare, and social status. The recognition of Women’s Day in China has sparked women’s consciousness and protected many women oppressed by feudalism at that time. Today, Women’s Day inspires people […]
“Why is Starbucks not as popular anymore?”: Trending hashtag on Chinese social media
In recent years, China’s coffee market has rapidly grown, witnessing the emergence of several local brands challenging traditional Western coffee chains such as Starbucks. Luckin Coffee, in particular, founded in 2017, surpassed the number of Starbucks stores in China in 2019. The Xiamen-based coffee giant has now achieved another significant milestone — surpassing Starbucks as […]
The dawn of a new era for Chinese luxury brands: 6 hypotheses on the future of luxury in China
In 2023, China’s luxury market made a significant rebound, surging by 12% year-on-year after a pandemic-induced dip the previous year, Chinese luxury market is on track to become the world’s largest, with Chinese luxury consumption estimated to account for 35%-40% of the global total by 2030. Alongside the development of the Chinese economy and its […]
Biem.L.Fdlkk: Behind the Chinese golf brand with the wackiest name ever
Many travelers in China have likely passed by the Biem.L.Fdlkk store at a train station or airport, wondering about the brand’s peculiar name. Today, the mystery behind the unconventional name of this Chinese golf apparel brand is finally unraveled. The crazy English name comes from the phonetic transliteration of the Chinese brand name “比音勒芬” (bi […]
Li Ning in China: leveraging national confidence to win young Chinese consumers
Li Ning is a Chinese sportswear company founded in 1990 by the Chinese “prince of gymnastics” Li Ning (李宁). In recent years, the brand has seen its sales skyrocket and its patriotic designs gain popularity, especially among new generations. The enhanced Chinese nationalism combined with the surge of the sports market following the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Oppo’s marketing strategy: a wise mix of innovation, diversification, and cross-brand collaborations
Nowadays, the world of technological devices is extremely wide, and competition is ruthless. Few brands such as Apple and Samsung lead the global market, however, a new generation of Chinese brands is rising. Oppo is the main example of a brand which had a relatively fast growth over the past few years, conquering the market […]
Made-in-China wine: Chinese winemakers are upgrading their production
China has entered into the top 10 world’s biggest wine-producing countries. The past decade has seen the planting of over 120,000 hectares of vineyards, with eight large-scale regions and more than 200 wineries emerging. Chinese wines, like Australian wines, are considered new world wines- a term used by sommeliers to describe wines which are not […]
Xiaomi X Marie Claire collaboration: Xiaomi’s plan to attract more female users
On June 11th, Xiaomi’s campaign targeting women was first released on Weibo by Marie Claire 嘉人’s official account, and gained 25,000+ reposts and 50,000+ likes. In this campaign, Xiaomi and Marie Claire invited actresses, Wu Jinyan and Zhang Huiwen, and seven industry elites to answer questions under the themes “告别过往，生生不息 An Endless Life with a […]
How to do Guochao marketing: In-depth interviews with Chinese gen Z
What is Guochao marketing “GUO CHAO” (literally “national trend”) refers to the increase consumer favoritism towards Chinese brands, designs and culture. Guochao consumers embrace Chinese cultural designs and products made in China. 75% of Chinese consumers surveyed state they like products that incorporate Guochao design elements. To learn more about Guochao marketing, we conducted in-depth […]
Ramen Talk: The Chinese ramen brand filling the gap between ‘instant’ and ‘gourmet’
Ramen Talk, founded in Shanghai in September 2016, is an instant noodle company that aims to make restaurant quality comparable noodles. In April 2017, the Chinese instant noodle brand completed a 4 million RMB angel financing. Its GMV reached 250 million RMB in 2019, ranking first on Tmall list of instant food category. Download our […]
How Chinese brands like Uma Wang leverage Western fashion trends
This analysis on what Chinese brands should know about Western fashion trends is a part of our 7 Continents initiative where we offer our market research and strategy consulting services to Chinese brands. Learn more about our 7 Continents global strategy consulting services here. The main changes in Western fashion trends are the rapid development […]